Get a detailed listing of all files and directories in a specified path.
AI agents call list_directory to retrieve information from Search without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a query/list operation to retrieve file system information. It has no side effects, does not modify data, and does not execute code or trigger external operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an attacker could enumerate files but cannot alter or delete them. Categorized as Read with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_directory' and description 'Get a detailed listing of all files and directories in a specified path' indicate a read-only operation that retrieves directory contents without modification.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_directory gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Search, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_directory:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_directory": {}
}
}list_directory is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get a detailed listing of all files and directories in a specified path. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Search MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Search MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_directory: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Search. Nothing to install.
list_directory is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_directory rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list_directory. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
list_directory is provided by the Search MCP server (@agent-infra/mcp-server-search). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Search, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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36 Search tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.